DIY Dreams in Brunswick West
When it comes to making things, Shaun Tompkins, a Melbourne-based Sustainable Building Officer with local government, would rather do it himself. “I like to do DIY tasks – this just happened to be the biggest DIY task that I’ve ever done”, he described to Never Too Small about his recently renovated 42sqm/452sqft apartment in Brunswick West, a neighbourhood to the inner north of the city. There’s a good chance that his love for doing it himself is something he inherited from his father, who, according to Tompkins, has been renovating their family home for thirty-plus years. “The years of helping him renovate created in me – I guess – a hunger to complete a renovation project”, he speculated with a laugh.
Tompkins purchased the unit on the top story of a small, low-rise 1960s building in 2022. He was drawn to its simplicity, citing its good bones, uncomplicated layout, and low-enough cost as key reasons for the purchase. The place was in pretty decent shape beyond its somewhat outdated appearance, but it did lack storage and had a large island dividing the kitchen and living room that made it feel a bit cramped. Tompkins saw the potential. Armed with the support of friends, who sometimes helped and sometimes only supervised with a beer in hand, he performed the entire renovation of his apartment himself. From the design and demo through to the installation – plumbing and electrical work excepted – the DIYer made the house into his dream home.
Visible and Invisible Updates
Initially Tompkins had a vision of removing the wall between living and bedroom but encountered some limitations structurally, which also meant financially. Instead, the only large structural change to the floor plan was the removal of the large kitchen island. The remainder of the updates are both invisible, such as new insulation in the ceiling and exterior walls, and highly visible, including: the cork flooring throughout; the pistachio green cupboards and shelving in the kitchen and bedroom; the brown tiles, fluted glass, and hardwood ceiling in the bathroom (note: hardwood was coated with mould-resistant sealant).
For Tompkins this aesthetic was informed by a desire to introduce natural materials into the home, an attempt “to bring some warmth and softer tones and edges into the space”, he explained. A modest, in our opinion, way of describing his cohesive and well-thought space that feels perfectly retro and contemporary, clean and cosy, and functional and whimsical all at once. It would seem Tompkins agrees: “When I wake up in the morning and I look around, I’m still sort of pinching myself that I was able to do it – that the vision came together”.
Advice for DIY Small Space Design
We asked Tompkins whether he had any advice for other DIYers out there looking to take on a new project and revamp their space. “I guess my advice would be to actually think about how you’re going to execute either a design or the process of installing something, making sure that you measure twice, cut once”, he said, quickly adding, “But to also know that you can overthink it as much as you want, and you’ll still probably miss something – so be easy on yourself if you do make a mistake. It’s just a part of the DIY process”. He also offered a sage reminder to rely on experts for things such as electrical and plumbing, where there’s a potential risk to your safety or the property itself. He had a last piece of advice, too: “probably make sure you treat your friends nicely so they can help you when you want to do something as grand as this.”
